Don’t call it a comeback: How Blizzard reinvented itself for a post-Titan world

On Friday morning, Nov. 7, Chris Metzen was standing in front of thousands of people on BlizzCon’s gigantic main stage. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. His voice was wavering. The hand holding his mic was shaking. And people in the audience started drumming their legs in anticipation.

The senior vice president of story and franchise development was building up to a historic moment at Blizzard Entertainment’s annual fan convention. He was about to announce the studio’s first new game in 17 years that isn’t related to its three popular franchises (Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo). Overwatch, a stylized team-based multiplayer shooter for the PC, made its debut with a short animated film, winning the crowd with its intriguing premise of dueling superpowered agents and a triumphant musical score.